nightmare on dawn princess

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jh1900

Guest

My family took dawn pricess from SF to Alaska this summer, we lost >2000$ cash on
the ship that was locked in my room's safty box! We reported to security officer
on the ship, and they just gave us a report and asked us go file claim. We filed
a claim as soon as we got off the ship, and waited for almost 3 months. A couple
days ago, we received the response, they deny the request. We are very upset and
don't know what to do. The only thing I know is that I'll never take princess again!
Please be careful to your cash when you're on board, don't trust the safty box.

C

Cruise cutie

Guest

:wave..so sorry you had such a loss...but I am looking for why on Earth would you take so much cash.ANYWHERES??.. in this day of traveler's checks, certified checks ,debit cards, and credit cards??. it's simply not safe to have that amount of cash.... I hope you get some resolve but to be blunt to carry that amount on land, or sea anywheres for any hotel, or any cruise line..to travel .. in this day and age is foolhardy to say the least.. Good luck, and best thoughts.. but to be honest in order to PROVE you had it is going to be next to impossible, and the burden of proof lies with you, and not with ANY hotel, or cruise line.. a very hard lesson to learn to have that amount of cash ON you, and then have it taken.. .. and as would be true of ANY establishment.. the sad fact of the matter is NO any one business would take the chance of claims of losses, as a covered matter.. Happy traveling in life...Joanne

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Beryl

Guest

I don't think this is necessarily a Princess problem. It might have happened in any hotel or on any cruiseline. You should know (for future trips of any kind) that if you carry this amount of cash or valuables you should use the safety deposit boxes that are available at the front desk of hotels or at the Purser's Desk on cruise ships. Joanne has given you very good advice. In future carry traveler's cheques or use a credit card. Carry the minimal amount of cash. Sadly the onus is on you to prove that you had that amount of cash with you and that it was stolen. I am so sorry that you had to learn such an expensive lesson the hard way !

M

marigail

Guest

What an awful thing to have happen!!! Being one who does travel with cash, you've given me pause for a second thought. Is the safe deposit box at the purser's desk a better choice? Is it accessible most of the time? (I've always used the safes in the cabin). If I go the traveler's checks route, how easy are they to cash on board?

Since we're leaving on the 18th, if someone could help me with these answers I'd be most appreciative.

Flamomo

Guest

Cashing travelers checks should be no problem onboard. If nothing else, you can get them cashed in the casino, and there is no charge associated with doing that.
We've always used our cabin safe and there's never been a problem. But if you're not comfortable with that, given what this poster has reported, use the safe at the pursers' desk. As far as I know there's almost always someone there.

CruiseAholic

Guest

One note about this, I've messed up the code to the safe before, and have had to had it unlocked. This is absolutely and positively no easy task.

The Cabin Steward DOES NOT have any way to open the safe. An officer has to be called, he/she does something, then has to call somewhere for a final code to open it back up. 2 person integrity.

Perhaps the safe was left open? Or the cash left out? Or misplaced?

I know that Princess safes are much better than those where you have to have a credit card to open the safe. That is the worst, either carrying the credit card with you at all times or hiding it in the room somewhere.

L

LovetheSea

Guest

That is just awful. And I for one am not gong to admonish you for having cash. We have a misguided feeling that our things will be safe in the SAFE! I guess I will not take any good jewelry with me this time. I usually have a few diamond pieces in the safe for formal night. Maybe a CZ will do? I would continue to pursue this with Princess. I have had things stolen out of my cabin ( not in the safe) small things like C.D.'s a coat and a camera. Nothing was ever done about it. The coat was bad because we were in Alaska at the time.
It really bugs me when I see a cabin steward leave a room open while he/she is cleaning it. Many times it is open and he is out for a moment. Anyone can come in.

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Conniemc

Guest

There are many many places that ONLY accept cash....I also take at least a thousand in cash, along with plenty of plastic. A lot of taxis will only take cash, some local restaurants, local stores, etc. I also like to tip in cash, and the crew appreciates that. I don't think there's anything "foolhardy" about carrying cash.

I can assure you, as someone who not only carrys cash, but very valuable diamond jewelry and lots of it, that kind of thing has never happened to me. I take all valuables in my handbag, put them in the safe, along with my passport, car keys, etc. and LOCK IT upon boarding.

However, I have left the safe unlocked repeatedly on Celebrity, knowing my steward would never jeopardize his job. Perhaps Princess needs to run criminal background checks on their employees.

I agree with the above posters however, that your steward would not be able to gain access to your locked safe. Sometimes they are trickey, you THINK they are locked, but they're not. Always double check by trying to open it before you head out.

K

kev

Guest

I always use my bank atm so if i need cash i can get it any where. and the card also doubles as a master card so i can use it as a credit card. but can only spend as much as i have in my account and no intrest or fees just a regular atm that can be used anywhere they take master/visa. works out great for me. and i only carry one card.you just have to tell the bank that you are leavin on vacation and where you are going.

A

ahewitt

Guest

I always carry cash at least 1000 but I never leave more than my tip money in the safe around 200 in small bills
the rest i keep on me not too tough to carry 8 or 9 100 dollar bills. the small ones are the ones that are a pain.
remember this is your vacation and all the thieves out there know it keep your money the same as you would in a crowded room.

frito

Guest

Sorry for your loss but there's not a cruise line afloat that will take your word that you had $ 2000.00 stolen from your safe. That's not to side with the cruise line nor to say you didn't but they have to have a line drawn somewhere and proving cash was stolen from your cabin safe is impossible to do. The cabin steward is almost always the first one someone will think of as a thief--- but stop and think-- he / she is so obvious a suspect that it's highly unlikely that they would take anything. I have cruised over 30 times on 5 different lines and never once had anything stolen.
I put everything into the safe as soon as I get aboard ( passports, wallet, jewelry, etc. ) and when I go ashore I take only my sail /sign card, d. license and whatever amount of money I think I will need for that day.I usually take 5-600.00 cash in 100's and maybe $ 15-20.00 in small bills for tipping porters, etc. Everything aboard is charged to the s/s card anyway and I don't gamble much so I don't need a lot of cash. By having large bills, it takes up less space
and as I need the larger bills changed, I'll simply pick a time when the pursers desk is not crowded and then get some of the bills broken down to like 10's 20's etc.
If the cruise line reimbursed you for your $ 2,000.00 what about the next guy who said he lost $ 1000, the the next dozen who said they had money, jewelry, etc stolen--there would be no end to the claims. Even your own homeowners ins. policy will cover only a very small amount of cash claimed as stolen.
No need to be upset with Princess-- no one else would pay you either. :wave

C

Conniemc

Guest

All true as stated above.
FYI - Not sure about all cruise lines, but on Celebrity, you "charge" your casino cash on the on board account. It took me several cruises to figure that out. Simply present your card at the cash booth, tell them how much you want, and you get cash - which gets added to your account - which is being paid by credit card....so no "cash advance" fee from you cc, etc. I usually play a few hundred at roulette a couple times during the cruise, makes it much easier to simply have the cash added to my account. And when I win (I always do!) I simply to go the front desk, hand them $1K or more and tell them to apply it to my account....Who knew, huh? I do now.

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Luci

Guest

THANK YOU FOR THE WARNING! I have sometimes left my safe door open by mistake on cruise ships. I never carry diamonds or anything that I wouldn't want to lose. I usually just put in the safe my passport and airline tickets.

Last time on a cruise ship some one stole my valiums and most likely some other meds that were in small bottles that I had by my bedside. The reason I didn't miss them until I got home was because I also carry those daily pill boxes so I know what to take each day.

I plan to keep my meds in the cabin safe. I still think it is safe but we never know for sure. I also plan to take just what I need for the week.
I don't carry much cash since I am not a big spender.

I am so sorry for the lose of their cash. That must have really hurt and depressed the owners. Luci

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Conniemc

Guest

I keep meds in the safe too. For obvious reasons. It's far easier to get away with sneaking a few meds out than to steal your jewelry. But again, I have never had an issue on long cruises, when I get a top stewards with many years of service to the company. Many times, I would come back to my cabin and realize I didn't wait long enough to the door to fully lock before taking off, and found it unlocked, but untouched.

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navymom

Guest

I never thought about putting meds in the safe, but that's a good idea.

As far as money goes, we've always been able to get cash at the purser's desk, but that was usually just for the tips at the end of the cruise. I can't remember how they worked it--charging our ship account or directly charging the credit card.

Sorry for the loss of all the money, btw.

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Cruise cutie

Guest

Hmm ..poster never did come back from October 2007 to update how they did..
BTW we DO bring some cash about 600.00 loose but again it's stored IN the safety deposit box,AND valuable Heirloom jewelry that is unable to be replaced from my late grands.."only" designs .some of it almost 100 years old!!. safe as can be always..
and as another BTW

they simply don't pick these folks off the street.. so rest assured they do not just have JUST anyone allowed to work, they are investigated,. tested both chemically, and ID.. and trained..and sad to say of course there is always one bad apple chance in a flotsam and jetsam of folks but the reality is these folks want/need/desire their jobs and putting them in jeopardy is simply not too brilliant a move,and they know it.. so just have it be let the buyer beware.. I have never had so much as a sock move in almost 15 years of cruising.. Good luck all....Joanne